In choosing the slate of winners for innovation grants totaling $650 million, the U.S. Department of Education decided to invest heavily in big-name teacher-training and school turnaround organizations while reserving one-fifth of the money for more-experimental programs it believes show promise. Last week, the department announced that 49…

The impact of an experimental, one-semester suspension of mathematics and English prerequisites from 12 courses is investigated. Data on enrollment, student performance, and instructor opinions are analyzed for the total group, and results concerning English versus mathematics prerequisites are compared. Implications for further research on the…

Many school districts are putting data to good use, although much of the data used in administrative decision making ultimately derives from standardized test scores, which raises a host of other related concerns. The author's purpose in this article is not to critique the types or sources of data that administrators use, but to suggest that there…

Student performance in the University of Pittsburgh Extended Master's of Social Work (EMSW) program is examined. The EMSW program was designed as an experimental program to evaluate the feasibility of fulfilling academic requirements on a part-time basis and with minimal interruption to students' employment and/or family responsibilities.…

A junior high school's experience with a team teaching experiment is described. Benefits cited include decreased disciplinary problems, high achievement on standardized tests, and teacher and student satisfaction with team teaching. (MJL)

The effectiveness of an experimental mathematics teaching program was investigated. Observational measures revealed that teachers implemented the treatment. Analyses of product data showed that students of treatment teachers outperformed those of controls. Thus, teachers and/or teaching methods exerted a significant difference on student progress…

Characteristics of three experimental programs used to compare participants to each other and to a group of students in the regular curriculum are identified: development of logical thought, broader educational development and career development, and academic characteristics. The programs and their evaluations are described. (Author/MLW)

The University of New Mexico established an innovative learner-centered, problem-based, community-oriented medical education program that runs parallel to the traditional program. The programs both fostered acceptance of the experiment and permitted comparison of results. The innovation resulted in higher achievement and reinforced interest in…

Analyzes the impact of a negative income tax experiment on the school performance of children in grades 4 through 10, indicating an increase in reading achievement for the younger children but not the older. Discusses evidence from previous research, welfare reform and educational achievement, and the research methodology and results. (MF)